Commutator-oiler



(No Model.)

P. L. MGGAHAN.

GOMMUTATOR OILER.

Patented Oat. 13

TIE-...4l-

m WM M b. w. @w www WM un me News Ps-rsns an., wma-.1mm wAsnlNcrou, n.cv

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

FRED L. MCGAI'IAN, OF INDIANAPOLIS, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNEASSIGNMENTS, OF THREE-FOURTHS TO HENRY C. BAILEY, OF EDINBRG,

INDIANA.

COMMUTATOR-OILER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 461,105, dated October13, 1891.

Application led November 7, 1890. Serial No. 370,708. (No model.)

.T0 @ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, FRED L. MCGAHAN, of Indianapolis, county of Marion,and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovementsin Oomniutator-Oilers; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer tolike parts.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for oiling commutators,and Will be understood from the following description. A.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side eleva tion of my device, the coilbeing in section. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the oiler on theline a: cc, Fig. 1. Fig, 3 is a cross-section on the line fy y, Fig. 2.

In detail, 1 is the commutator, which is mounted on the dynamo or motorin the usual manner. The oiler comprises a layer of felt or similarmaterial 2, wrapped about a cylinder 3, which has an oil-chamber textending nearly its entire length, closed bya cap 5, the cylinder beingmounted in bearings 6, bolted to a supporting-plate 7, which isconnectcdto a weighted lever S, pivoted at 9 to aclamp 10, by means of whichit'may be secured to a table or other support. The ends of the feltwrapper 2 are heldin place by screw-caps 11, as shown in Fig. 2. Acentral slot 12 allows the oil to escape from the chamber for saturatingthe felt. On either side the oilingcylinder are wipers composed ofpieces of felt 13, secured in slotted heads 14., 'formed integral withspindles 15, which pass through 'the plate 7 and through the collars 1Gto give a longer bearing to ihespindles, and are secured in place bypins 17, passing through the end of the spindles below the collar.

18 are springs coiled on the spindles between the plate 7 and theshoulder formed by the head 14. At the connection of the lever S withthe plate 7 a heavy rib is formed, which not only strengthens the plate,but serves as a counter-balance to the adjustable Weight upon the lever8, whose gravity holds The oiler in contact with the periphery of thecominutator. A cord 19 is connected to the outer end of the Weightedlever 8, passing helix is formed into a clamp 2l for securing it to anysuitable support. A divided plate or frame 25 is located beneath thisbase, havmg a spring-button 2G in line with the boss or head of thecore, the plate 25 being supported by Wires 27, which forni a cage forthe core.

30 is a contact-plate, one end being pivoted to one side of the dividedplate 25, and its op posite end is held in Contact with the oppositeside of suoli plate by a spring S1, attached to the under side.

32 are the main station-circuit wires, counected by binding-posts oneither side of the divided plate 25, and When the weighted core israised and in its normal position the main station-circuit passes fromone side of lsuch plate tothe other through the pivoted contact-plate30.

29 is a loop of the main circuit, one end being connected to the dividedplate 25 on one side and its other end to a block Si, su pported beneaththe contact-plate 30 from the opposite plate 25 and insulated therefromat 33, as shown.

The weight of the ball-arm S of the pivoted base-plate 7, which carriesthe oilers and wipers, is such as to normally hold the felt 2 of theoiling-cylinder in contact with the periphery of the oommutator, and thechamber in the cylinder being supplied with oil the feltis saturated andthe oil is evenly distributed over the face of the commutator, and asthe latter revolves any surplus ot' oil is carried away by the wipers oneither side the oiling-cylinder. The spindle of the wiper beingcontrolled by the coiled spring, the ten.

sion of the latter will hold the felt carried in the jaw in contact withthe commutator and take up any wear in the edge of the felt.

My device operates as follows: As the coinmutator revolves, its facebeing in frictional contact with the Vfelt of the oiling-cylinder, thelatter revolves also, while the wipers on each side carry away anysurplus oil and distribute it evenly over the tace of the commu- 4tator, preventingits accumulation in too great quantity at any pointfandthus preventing the wearing or clogging up of the brush or the Woodenoilers ordinarily used are also lia-' ble to be burned up, and the wholedevice requires cons-tant watching, and in case of an laccident of thiskind the ordinary oiler has to be removed by the hand of the operator toprevent its total destruction. My device requires no such Watching,being entirely automatic in its operation, as I will now proceed toexplain.

The gravity of the lever S is such as to nor- Inally hold the felt ofthe oiling-cylinder in contact with the commutator; but the outer end ofthis lever, as before mentioned, is connected through the cord 19 to thecore 2l of the helix 22, whose wires 23 are connected to thedynamo-circuit. l/Vhile the current is passing through the coil the corewill be held up by the force of the current in the position shown inFig. l; but the instant that the cur- Y plate 25, and out over themain-circuit wire 32, the same movement pulling up th-e outer end of thelever 8, which swings upon the pivot 9, dropping the oiling-cylindersand wipers away from contact with the face of the commutator, removingthem from any danger of burning, and the gravity of the core 2l holdsthe oiler in that position until it is replaced by the hand of theengineer. In other words, an interruption of thecurrent through the coil22 operates to draw the oiler away from the commutator, and it willremain separated from it until manually restored. 35 is secured to thelever 8 bya set-screw to allow its adjustment thereon when desired toequalize the weight of the core 2l.

When two or more dynamos are connected to the main station-circuit, eachhas located in its own circuit a helix 22, weighted core 2l, andconnections, as before described, for operating upon and breaking thestation-circuit, causing such current to pass over a loop and ringing abell located therein.

It is obvious that 'the shape of the oiler might be varied, and oilmight'be supplied to its ibrous surface externally instead of fromwithin, and I do not intend to limit my'- self to the form herein shown,the principle of my invention being the holding of a saturable substancein contact with the commu- The weightl tator 'by the` gravity of itssupport and Yth latter connected to the core of an electromagnet, whichis set in the same circuit with the commutator, so that any interruptionof the current in the coil will allow the core to drop, and, falling, itwill draw the oiler away from contact with the commutator entirely, thuspreventing its destruction by the iiashing or the heat of the current.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure' by Letters Patent,is the following:

l. An oiler for commutators, comprising a cylinder covered withsaturable material and having an oil-chamber within, such cylindermounted in bearings connected to a pivoted base-plate, and a weightedlever connected to such plate whose gravity normally holds the cylinderin contact with the commutator, all combined substantially as shown anddescribed.

2. An oiler for commutators, comprising a cylinder covered with felt orfibrous material, an oil-chamber within, such cylinder revolving inbearings connected to a pivoted base-plate connected to a weighted leverWhose gravity normally holds the oiler in t contact with the commutator,one or more spindles carrying wipers also connected to su'ch pivotedplate, and springs coiled on such spindles, whose tension normally holdsthe wipers in contact with the commutator for distributing the oilreceived from the cylinder, all combined substantially as shown anddescribed.

IOO

3. An oiler for comniutators, comprising a commutator, all combinedsubstantially as shown and described. r Y 4. An oiler forcommutators,'comprising a saturable material connected to a suitablesupport, the latter weighted and normally holding such material incontact with the commutator, an electro-magnet set in the circuit of thedynamo, a'weighted core therein kconnected to the oiler-support, and analarm mechanism set in an independent circuit and IIO actuated by thefall of the core of the electromagnet, all combined substantially asshown and described.

5; In a commutator-oiler, a cylinder, an oil'- chamber Within, asaturable material upon the outside of such cylinder connected with theoil-supply, a base-plate providing bearings for suchY oiling-cylinderand pivoted to a suitable support, anv arm carrying an adjustable weightconnected to such base-plate, and an electro-magnet set in the circuitof the dyln Witness whereof I have hereunto set my nemo, its coreconnected to the Weighted arm hand this 3d cla-y of November, 1890.

of the base-plate supportimT the cylinder T whereby the breaking of thebcurrent oper FRED L' MCGAHAB' ates to free the ailing-cylinder from thecom- Witnesses:

mutator, all combined substantially as shown H. D. NEALY,

and described. i E. B. GRIFFITH.

